1. Technical Field of the Disclosure
The subject matter of the present disclosure relates to indicia reading systems, and more particularly, to indicia reading systems configured for wireless communication between the terminal and corresponding cradle, where the systems have improved battery charging performance in various operating modes.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Indicia reading terminals and scanners (collectively, “terminals”) are available in multiple varieties. These terminals are useful to read and decode the information encoded in decodable or information bearing indicia. Such decodable indicia are utilized generously, from encoding shipping and tracking information for packages, patient identification in hospitals, retail applications, and use on any number of forms and documents including, but not limited to, tax forms, order forms, transaction forms, survey forms, delivery forms, prescriptions, receipts, newspapers, product documents, reports, and the like.
In various environments, the use of decodable indicia, such as bar code symbols, has become the norm for identifying products and inventory. Typically, each item is marked with decodable indicia associated with a description of the item and other attributes (for example, price or patient identification) that are stored in a database of a host device or network system. The terminals are used to read the indicia and provide that reading as input information to host devices. In some cases, the data is provided to the host devices via base units or cradles, which communicate with the indicia reader. Examples of host devices include a hospital patient care system, a computer (fixed or portable), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable data terminal (PDT), a point of sale (POS) terminal, a transaction terminal, cash register, server, or similar device.
While stationary presentation-type scanners were the norm, advances upon fixed scanners use terminals that are hardwired to a companion device (e.g., host device). This configuration permits the user to manually move the terminal into position to scan decodable indicia on an item, rather than having to move the item into the field of view of the terminal as required with the stationary presentation-type scanner. The scanned information from decodable indicia is then transmitted to the companion device via the hardwired connection between the two components. Unfortunately, this approach does not eliminate the problems associated with scanning items that are out of reach of the wire that secures communication between the terminal and the companion device. These problems often require that item is repositioned so that the reader may scan the decodable indicia.
In order to eliminate the limitations imposed by hardwiring the terminal to the companion device, another proposed approach is to deploy wireless technology into the terminal. This technology permits the terminal to communicate wirelessly with its companion device. In one example of this approach, the terminal is held in a cradle until needed to read decodable indicia that are normally out of the view of the stationary presentation-type and/or hardwired terminals. The user may manually move the terminal into position to scan the decodable indicia as long as the reader is within a distance where it may communicate wirelessly with its cradle. The scanned information is then transmitted to the cradle over the wireless connection.
Further improvements in wireless terminals are needed such as, for example, there is a need for a wireless terminal with improved battery charging performance and, in particular, improved charging during various operating modes including presentation modes.